The boy with the scar
by LawJ80
Summary: Joshua stumbled into King county after two years of hell with a baseball bat weilding manic, who took everything from the boy leaving him with a permanent scar. Will Rick be able to help the boy not only heal from the ordeal but also catch the man before he takes another. AU no zombies
1. Chapter 1

**Well to simply put, this is something different from what i normally write. I've never written an Alternate universe for any fan fiction but hey why not. There will be the same walking dead characters as in the tv show but AU. Please leave a review and let me know if this should be continued/what do I need to work on. Also let me know about characters you want to see put into this and I'll work it out. Anyway onto the story.**

 **Chapter one "the boy"**

The boy's palms were sweaty in spite of the coolness of the room, slowly he clenched and unclenched his hands in an attempt to calm his nerves trying to show whoever had taken him that he wasn't afraid.

The boy was still wearing his soccer uniform from practice, grass and dirt stains covered areas of the uniform from where he could recall falling hard against...something. the boy ignored the state of his clothes and looked around the room for the umpteenth time hoping that maybe he had missed something his first go around but sadly there was still nothing.

The boy flicked a few blond strands of hair out of his eyes as the thoughts began pouring in "It will be fine, mom and dad will realize that I didn't come home after practice and the police will be here soon" the boy thought to himself in an attempt to ease his racing heart. Other thoughts began to race into his head as well, reports of mutilated victims, kids that were never found even fifty or so years after they went missing…

Maybe it's some guy who wants a kid of his own…yeah that happens right, just play the part of the son for a little bit and the minute he gains the guys trust, slip free.

The boy let out a small amount of trapped air that had built up in his lungs as he thought about his idea _….then why the chain_. The boy's hazel eyes went down to the chain that was wrapped tightly around his foot, a rusty padlock kept it in place.

 _Maybe…maybe…._ the boy felt tears begin to form up as his thoughts raced back to the news stories of missing children, never to be seen again.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck…_.the boy hit his head against the wall in frustration as tears rolled down his face, he couldn't die here he had to get out….he had to.

The sound of boots clicking along pavement caused the boy to snap out of his dream, ok keep a level head…stop crying. The boy blinked away the tears and did his best to control the fear that had built up inside him.

The door creaked open and soon the mysterious person was inside the same room as the boy, he was tall, that was the first thing the boy noticed the man had to duck underneath the door frame to enter…though that could have been due to the door being very small.

The man's hair was slicked back and black as night, a beard covered the man's face which was sporting a million dollar smile with rows of clean white teeth. The man stood in the door way for a minute looking at the boy before completely coming in and closing the door behind him.

The boy began to shake in spite of himself but it wasn't due to the man's kempt appearance that caused the boy to shiver…it was the wooden bat with barbed wire that he carried so easily in his right arm.

"Hello Joshua" the man's voice sounded cheerful and if he wasn't holding him prisoner, trusting…

"How do you know…." The boy squeaked his voice sounding pitiful against the man's voice

"Your name?" the man's voice boomed in the enclosed space

The boy simply nodded feeling himself inch his way to the wall behind him

"In due time" the man licked his lips and looked around the room

"We are miles from anyone and anywhere, plus this room is sound proofed so no one can hear you" the man shrugged his shoulders "you'll be fed once a day and there's a bucket against the wall for…you know" the man indicated to the blue bucket that the boy had just noticed, the thought of using it disgust him.

"Now if there aren't any questions" the man stated returning to the door

The boy tugged at the chain as he attempted to stand, "my parents are going to realize I'm not home, the cops will be looking for me" the boy stated almost pleading with the man to let him go and realize the foolishness of the keeping him here.

The man stopped in the door way and cocked his head so one eye could view his prisoner "I have no doubts that the cops will be looking for you very soon….your parents on the other hand, I don't think their able to do much at the moment" the man banged the bat against the ground and in the process a small spatter of blood cascaded off the weapon and into the room with the boy.

Without saying another word the man left the boy sobbing in the room, unwilling to look around or try to tug the chain again, want only to wake up from this nightmare and have it be over….

 **Two years later**

Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes continued patrolling around the small town in King County, Georgia counting the minutes till his shift would be done so that he could go home. His wife Michonne wouldn't be long after him after picking up Judith from pre-school and then they could relax for maybe a small moment.

His eldest Carl who was a freshman in high school would be home after soccer practice sometime early evening which meant tonight would be the first time that the family would have dinner together…as long as nothing major happened. The policeman smiled again picking up the stale coffee that had gone cold hours ago and proceeded along the road that led outside of town.

Rick turned his attention to the radio and attempted to get a country station playing when upon looking up he quickly slammed on his brakes. Rick stared for a few seconds as he saw a boy walking up the road.

The act in itself wouldn't normally cause much fuss but it was the state of the boy, his shoulder length hair was matted to his head, his clothes which consisted of old soccer shorts which were stained with dirt and grass, the jersey was almost in shreds with the number 12 barely visible, in other words the kid looked like hell.

"Dispatch this is car two-seven….." Rick spoke into his radio going into almost autopilot, ignoring the fatherly instinct to go and at the least take the boy in, the boy however seemed to ignore the car all together and continued walking toward town.

Dispatch acknowledged Rick who promptly called for his usual partner and friend to promptly meet him on the road, at the same time the deputy continued monitoring the boy's slow zombie like march toward town.

No more than five minutes past before Shane and Rick were out of their patrol cars and moving toward the kid.

"Hey son…" Rick spoke first as Shane stood next to his friend waiting to jump in if needed.

The boy continued shuffling as the two deputies got closer to which Rick could see that the boy who couldn't be more than fifteen or sixteen was in much rougher shape than the deputy realized before. A long scar ran along the kid's temple to the corner of his mouth, the scar had healed long ago indicating long term abuse.

"Hey kid" Rick spoke in a softer voice carefully reaching toward the boy to get him to stop.

The kid flew back as soon as the tips of the deputy's finger grazed him, acting as if Rick had punched him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry,I won't do it again…." the boy said repeating the words another time before pausing and looking up at the deputies standing above him.

Before either man could say anything the boy asked "where am I?"

"King county" Shane said grabbing his radio, ready to call the hospital

"And you're both policemen" the boy timidly asked as if expecting to be struck for asking such an obvious question.

"We are, we can help you…can you tell us your name" Rick said holding up a comforting hand

The boy shook his head "please….he'll come back for me"


	2. How fast the time goes

**Hello and sorry for the delay between chapters, but University is finally over and done with and hopefully I can write more than I used too.**

 **Msjackson53-as always I enjoy reading your reviews and your encouragement that you give, you're great and I'm glad that you like this story.**

 **If anyone has any tips or would like to see certain characters pop up in the story I would love to hear from you. As always I want to hear from you guys, anyway onto the chapter.**

Fingers wove their way through his blond locks pulling the boy from his kneeling position to being hung in the air his face mere inches from the monster.

"You mess up again…there won't be a next time" the man's smile never left as rows of perfectly white teeth gleamed at the grimy boy.

The torment never really ended with Negan coming at all hours, or no hours throughout many days and nights keeping Joshua on his toes never allowing himself to really rest, and now because of it Joshua had no idea what day it was, though couldn't have been too long…Could it.

Another quick slap across the face striking the still tender wound before Joshua was released from his captor's grasp and left alone. Quickly putting his hand up to hopefully stop the pain that was radiating from the side of his face.

It wasn't as if he even really wanted to escape anymore, what was the point? His family was murdered never coming back, he had no one else in the world...why wouldn't the man just kill him.

 **Chapter 2 "How fast the time goes** "

Rick stood patiently in the hallway as a nurse and doctor looked over the patient that had been brought in. The kid was in rough shape that much could be determined by himself, the boy's eyes had seemed distant and almost completely lifeless. His hair was greasy and of course there was that scar across his cheek, looked to have been made years ago and as fair as Rick could tell it wasn't going away anytime soon.

The urgency of someone running down the hall brought the man out of his thoughts and onto his partner standing before him looking as if he had run a marathon.

Before Rick could udder a word Shane spat out "you're not going to believe this" he said handing over the file "the kid's Joshua Pragues…" He said handing the folder over to his friend.

"Why does that name sound familiar" He said flipping open the file and upon reading the story once again filled his head. The Pragues were a lower middle class family in Alexandria (about twenty miles down the road) Mother, father and their eldest daughter were all found butchered in their home with their youngest, Joshua missing.

There had been some speculation that maybe the boy had done the killings but after confirming the times of deaths for the family and the fact that Joshua was seen at school by numerous people during those times the realization that the boy had been kidnapped dawned upon the sleepy town and that's when the sheriff's department had been brought in.

Rick stopped reading and looked at his partner "so the kid goes missing years ago in Alexandria and ends up in Cynthiana " It wasn't really a question for his partner but just something that the undersheriff did from time to time especially during investigations, talking to himself seemed like the best way to confirm what he was seeing and understand it.

Shane simply nodded getting closer to his partner and lowering his voice as a pair of nurses walked by "So what do we do?"

Rick looked around to confirm that the pair were alone and also lowered his voice "We need to contact the boy's family whoever is left, uncle, aunt, grandparents...whoever and let them know he's been found"

Leaning against the wall Shane spouted another troubling piece of information "There's the problem, the kid's only living relative is his grandfather who's living in an old folks home hooked to a respirator. Not to mention that the guy doesn't know what year it is let alone that he has a grandson"

Rick wiped away some of the sweat that had accumulated on his forehead as the file was beginning to feel like a bucket of wet cement.

"What about Children and Youth services?"

Again the familiar shake of his partner's head continued back and forth as he replied CYS said that most of the foster homes are full, and those that aren't are full of kids who were takin away due to anger problems"

"Yeah that would be the last thing he needs" Scratching the back of his head Rick lowered himself into a nearby chair to which Shane quickly followed suit.

"So we don't have a place to put the kid, and he's going to need plenty of help...so what do we do acting sheriff" Shane putting emphasis on the last part of his statement, indicating that it was truly up to Rick himself. Rick the current leader of the small fifteen man department would have to make a decision on how the kid would most likely heal from his ordeal.

Rubbing his eyes for a few moments the man finally spoke "I'll be right back" He said taking out his phone and going to a somewhat quiet spot in the waiting room.

"Hey it's me"

 **Joshua**

The soothing beeps of a heart monitor filled the enclosed space as Joshua began to wake. The foreign smell of linen and disinfectant filled his nostrils as he kept his eyes shut fearing that opening them would cause the dream to stop and thrust him back into the hell that was all too familiar.

So instead he sat there with his eyes closed, enjoying the smell the atmosphere before having to go back to the bad place. He took a deep breath allowing the scent to go into his lungs filling them to the top before allowing them to empty and once again fill with the alluring fragrance. With every breath willing the room to be real, that he was no longer in the place that he feared.

After what seemed like hours, the teen finally dared himself to open one of his eyelids just a peak. The room that he was in was a sea of whites and greens mixed with the occasional blues, the colors almost hurting his open eye. Daring himself again he cracked his other eyelid to see that he was indeed inside a room, not his prison cell.

His eyes were beginning to water from the intensity of the light and colors that he had not been accustomed to for some time. After a couple blinks Joshua Slowly began inching himself up to the point that he could look around the space. Though the room little more than 200 square feet the area felt massive, like a football stadium compared to the confined space that had been such a part of his life.

His eyes quickly darted to a clock above the wall indicating that it was half past seven and judging by the sunlight Joshua assumed that meant in the afternoon. His eyes continued to drift over to a calendar on the wall next to him which sported basket of dogs looking gleefully at the camera.

"September?" Joshua whispered to no one but himself as he looked down at his arms one of which had various tubes sticking out in a million different directions, while the other was covered in various scratches from his hike through the woods.

His head thumped against the pillow as he breathed a small sigh of relief it hadn't been a dream, he had gotten out but for how long was the true question. It wouldn't be long until that man, the monster would come back to take him back or just plain kill him, something that Joshua had been reminded of to no end…regardless he at the moment didn't really care, he was out.

A nurse came in a few moments later and seemed surprised that her patient was awake. She was wearing green nursing scrubs, her brunet hair was short just going below the ears. Her name tag said Maggie and with a smile she approached her patient.

"Hi there, good to see you're awake." The woman said with both caution and a lightness that Joshua hadn't heard in a long time.

"My name's Maggie, do you know your name?" She asked

Yes he remembered his name, though it had been a long time since he had heard someone say it, most of the time he was called boy, dog, you, fucker and a handful of other names that were far too painful to remember at the current point in time.

"J...Josh" he said feeling the words scrap against the inside of his mouth like sand paper.

Still smiling the woman spoke again coming just an inch closer "Ok, you're in a hospital in Cynthiana, some deputies found you on the side of the road...do you remember that?"

Joshua slowly nodded his head, suddenly feeling like it weighed a hundred pounds.

Before she could ask another question he asked one of his own "What year is it?"

 **Rick**

It didn't take long before the voice of his wife was on the phone and after the questions of when he would be home were over he filled her into situation.

"I remember the news coverage, that was about two years ago wasn't it" Michonne inquired as Rick told her promptly that it had been.

Rick told her what he wanted to do "You're a counselor, that's part of the reason that I think I can get this cleared. This kid is going to need plenty of help, and I don't think putting him into a foster home with twenty other kids is going to do it."

Michonne had made up her mind before Rick had even begun, "Bring him home, I'll make up the guest room and push dinner back till you get home" her husband let out a long sigh of relief into the phone.

"Alright thank you, and I'll make it up to you about dinner"

"oh that was going to happen regardless, nothing that a bottle of Dom can't fix" She joked knowing that that would never happen in a million years.

They both said goodbye and Rick could feel his face getting red and his smile widening as he got off the phone, the day was beginning to look up.

Upon returning to his partner he told him what was going to happen which Shane promptly responded that it would be good.

"Listen I don't want you to think that I'm abandoning you but someone should start this paperwork and you got the kid to deal with so you don't mind if I?"

"no, no go good idea I'll be in first thing tomorrow to fill out my portion" with that the two men parted way and Rick resumed his stance outside the room, waiting for something to happen.

Maggie cracked the door and asked for Rick to enter. The boy was staring at the ceiling as Rick entered. "he was talking before and then he asked the year after I told him he stared at the ceiling and hasn't said a thing since.

Rick felt his heart break again as he stared at the malnourished teen before him, one who could easily have been his own son. One who had lost everything and more than likely didn't know that his family was gone.

However whatever hurt that had been across Joshua's face had subsided and an almost calm appearance took over as Rick assumed that having been the first person that he had seen in years had made a small connection with him.

"Hey Josh..." Rick inched closer to the silent boy

"The doctors are done with all their testing and they said it would be alright if you came with me."

Joshua looked over at the man "Where?"

"You'll come with me to my home, my wife is cooking some dinner and we both think it would be better if you stayed with us. If that's alright with you?" Rick asked

Joshua simply nodded that it would, and Rick began the process of getting the kid home.

Josh silently looked outside the window of the patrol unit as it made its way silently down the sunlit streets. Dusk was fast approaching however as the streetlights began to turn themselves on one by one as the pair made their way down the road.

He was now sporting a pair of sweatpants and King county sheriff sweatshirt along with his old sneakers from before. Thankful to be wearing something warm for a change although the temperature had to be in the eighties.

The pair said nothing till he parked at what Josh assumed to be his house and that's when Rick said "You'll like Michonne, and we'll see if my son has anything that will fit you"

Joshua simply took in the information and stepped out into the sun, enjoying the rays for the first time in forever before joining Rick at the porch before going inside.

Rick pushed open the door to his home relishing the breeze from the air conditioner before stepping aside allowing Joshua to enter. The sound of music drifted from the kitchen along with the smell of chicken and other delicious food, Joshua simply stood in the door unsure of what to do, overwelled by the various things assaulting his senses.

Just as the lawman closed the door Michonne came out from around the corner "Thought I heard someone" she said coming closer to the pair, her smile never leaving attempting to make the boy feel as comfortable as possible.

"Joshua this is my wife Michonne" Rick stated as he took off his work boots and pushed them into their place beside the door, to which Joshua quickly followed suit and pushed his dirty sneakers into the corner right next to Ricks boots.

"Pleas...pleased to meet you ma'am" His voice cracked slightly as he spoke, this was beginning to be too much, so many lights and sounds bombarding him, overwhelming him as he stood their. He felt as if he was going to be sick.

"Dinner is just about ready and we'd love to have you join us but if you'd rather sleep we understand" Michonne's voice was both calm and ensuring and Joshua would love nothing more than to eat a real meal but...

"Can I use your bathroom?" He blurted out

Nodding their heads without missing a beat Rick and Michonne simultaneously pointed to a door near the stairs to which he quickly entered.

The smell of Clorox and other disinfects surprised him as he shut the door behind him, enjoying the space the quietness offered. Just before he continued into the room he locked the door behind him, for the first time in years being in control of a situation. Knowing that no one could just enter the space that he now inhabited and demand something from him, no for at this moment he was secure at his own volition not the monster that had kept him.

Joshua made his way over to the sink and looked into the mirror, what looked back at him didn't really shock him, he had spent a long time feeling his face when he was captured. Feeling the edges of the scar that had been carved into his face, marking him permanently... The sound of the front door opening and closing caused Joshua to once again be aware of his surroundings as he finished up at the sink and dried his hands... _You're safe_

 **thirty miles away**

Negan swung Lucille into the wall causing bits of debris to cascade around the enclosed space. The boy was gone somehow, sure enough somehow that kid had been able to not only get out of the cell but also hiked into the woods probably at the damn highway by now..."FUCK" Negan cursed once again swinging the bat into the wall.

After a few more minutes of cursing Negan stopped swinging the bat not wanting to damage her any more than he already and although his anger was still inside boiling it was at the moment subsided. He could not believe his eyes that although what he was seeing couldn't possibly be possible, it was...the boy was gone. "Damn it!" Negan wiped away some of the sweat that had accumulated across his forehead and leaned against the wall as his thoughts began to run smoothly again.

 _Search the woods and find the boy, worst case he got away but there is no way that he could lead anybody back to him_ , not that Joshua really could get anything back to him, he didn't even know who he was and Negan doubted that in the boy's current condition he could figure out where his cell had been.

His mouth grinned again at the thought as he backed himself out of the room and up into the open air of the forest. He was perfectly isolated way out here, no pesky neighbors that could see him for what he was, a place that he could be his true self and drop the act that he carried everyday, a true monster. Someone that was looked at in both surprise and fear upon discovery of what drove him. He retrieved a flash light and quickly caught the boy's trail, it was so easy to spot when one knows what to look for, and he was a man who knew what to look for. And began following the trail of broken sticks and disturbed leaves that the boy had made when he left.

 _Worst case, there are plenty more where he came from._


	3. Chapter 3 A late night

Joshua stared ahead as the man continued to take pictures as Joshua stared at an empty wall. This can't be happening

"Just be good" the hands were getting rougher this time as the boy desperately tried to imagine himself anywhere else, to be anywhere but here would be welcome.

Even death.

The thought that had crossed his mind shocked him, Did he really want to die…was he really that far gone.

A hard slap returned him to reality causing a yelp to escape his cracked lips.

"It's really rude to zone off like that" his captor said in a soft yet serious tone.

Joshua continued to squirm against the wall of his prison, praying to be anywhere else.

"Someone really ought to teach you some manners" his grin widened into a smile flashing that row of perfect white teeth, teeth that hid the monster or revealed it depending on ones point of view.

The man sunk closer to the boy his hot breath blowing right against his ear "Do I have to teach you some manners?"

 **Chapter 3: A late night**

Rick silently glanced over the files, his eyes aching due to the strain but yet. He couldn't look away. This truly was rare, for a kid to come home after two days, let alone two years. And yet here he was albeit far from ok.

Rick took a sip of his tea before returning back to the files. Everything about the family's murder was in front of him, and along with it the gruesome photos of the family that he wished he could unsee.

The boy hadn't asked about them, didn't even question the fact that Rick brought him home. Not his home but Rick's…the kid knew that his family didn't make it, Rick didn't even want to think about why.

The lawman closed his eyes as Jazz music continued to envelop the room and with it a certain sense of peace.

His peace really didn't last long, his eyes felt so heavy that he couldn't open them, no matter how badly he wanted to his mind was now bombarded with gruesome shots of dead bodies, blood caking the ground around them.

Rick's eyes shot open and briefly the images faded, only to be replaced by the ones siting in front of him on the desk. All the family members killed the same way though at much different times. No other fingerprints were at the scene

Another sip, rubbing his temples before turning his attention to another section. The school reported that Joshua had made it there on time, no outward indications that something was wrong, after seven periods not including lunch Joshua went to soccer practice. Again Joshua played as he always did, and then Joshua walked home just as he always had done.

And that's when the usual routine went awry, Joshua didn't show up for his game the next day. The coach not being able to reach anyone at the house decided to drive out there and look into it and discover the scene.

Rick let out a stifling yawn. A knock upon the door brought him out of his trance to see Carl standing in the door, somewhat timidly about entering.

Rick glanced to the clock while waving his son into his study, "it's almost one in the morning, what are you still doing up?" Rick asked trying to hide his surprise that it was so late.

Carl sat in a chair across from his dad, "no school tomo…today figured it would be alright. Plus what are you still doing up?" the boy responded flicking a few chocolate hairs out of his eyes, a

Slight smirk across his face.

Rick removed his reading glasses, setting them on the desk before rubbing the ever present sleep from his eyes before returning the smile. "How was school?"

Carl let out a sigh "all good accept Mr. Griff, got a B back on that paper."

Rick was still amazed that Carl could be his son at all, in high school the only thing he worried about was getting drunk and dates..he was happy with a D.

Carl sat quietly for a moment looking around the room before returning his gaze back to his Dad. "So…what happened to Josh?"

Rick knew the question was coming, but also didn't want to tell more than he should, it was after all Joshua's right to tell. "Someone hurt him and his parents a long time ago"

Carl took the information in, his brain trying to wrestle with the concept "was he kidnapped?"

Rick nodded "by a very bad man"

Carl again took in the information that his father had told him, that was one thing that seperated their relationship from other son's and father's, his Dad actually treated him like an adult.

"So what can we do"

 **Joshua**

\Rain battered the side of the house a while thunder clapped in the distance as Joshua sat perched in a corner of the room. Besides the illuminating glow of his flashlight that was interrupted by brief flashes of lighting there was nothing else lighting the room that he now found himself.

His senses were being overloaded by all the lights and colors so instead of eating dinner he instead excused himself to the bedroom. No one chastised him for doing so, no they were understanding…almost kind. Another roll of thunder in the distance seemed to shake the house and caused the teen to shrink even further against the wall.

That was another problem…sounds. Everything from a car horn to people talking in a group was to put it bluntly, exhausting. From his cage the loudest that it would get would be the crickets outside, not including the bastard that would greet him morning, night and every time in between.

The rain continued its assault on the house as Joshua began to feel safe for the first time in a while.

He remembered the first time that it really had rained in his prison, simply beyond terrifying when the water had began to rise upward. It didn't get above his knees and he couldn't lay down and sleep for the two days it took for the water to drain out, after that a third day for Negan to come and see him…he hadn't been anywhere near his captive when the floodwaters came, didn't care either that Joshua hadn't slept or ate for those days either.

But at the moment it didn't matter, he was safe…for now. Before Negan would find and take him back to his hole and probably kill him, if he didn't do it first time he found him.

Joshua shuddered at the thought and brought the comforter closer to his chin as if the blanket could protect him. The storm raged on as the teen felt himself drift into a restless slumber, dreams filled with a baseball bat manic.

After what seemed like minutes Joshua awoke to strong warm rays of sun basking through a window. The storm it seemed had quieted down, though who knew when it would start up again. Joshua breathed a sigh of relief and cast the heavy comforter beside him and slowly got up.

1136 AM The digit clock next to the bed spoke. How long had it been since he had slept that late, though with his current grogginess it couldn't have been that long of a sleep.

Unsure of himself the teen edged himself to the door, taking note of any movements that could prove his undoing not wanting to talk to anyone. Before opening the door he caught a look at himself briefly in the mirror of the room.

Still wearing the same clothes from yesterday long blond strands of hair snaked across his face covering the scar. The sweatshirt did a great deal bit of good disguising the….Joshua involuntarily put a hand against his back, shuddering at the thought before retreating from the mirror. Not wanting to look anymore at the stupid boy.

Upon opening the door he was surprised to hear nothing throughout the house, not a soul.

Shutting the door behind him he edged his way down the hall and down the stairs till he was in the foyer that he had stood in a mere twelve hours ago. And yet no one was around.

Light poured (around the edges) from what he assumed was the kitchen behind a closed door before his hand could touch it he heard it…the sound of someone on the other side banging around, opening cabinets. No matter what was going on he knew only one thing…a person was on the other side of the door.

His stomach twisted as he thought about going back up into his room, not wanting to face whoever was in there. Not because of being attacked or anything like that, no. It was the questions that were going to be asked of him, questions that he knew sooner or later he would have to answer.

Without thinking he nudged the door open to see not Rick or Michonne but who Joshua assumed was Carl. He couldn't have been more than fifteen

The younger boy held up a hand, a sort of wave before plucking the earbuds out of his ears and returning them to a pocket in his sweatpants. The boy like Joshua seemed to just have gotten up as well as was apparent by his chocolate hair that stuck out in various places, and overall grogginess.

"Pancakes?" Carl asked

The older boy was about to shake his head but his stomach quickly remind him of his previous reflux's all he night before. Joshua nodded as Carl cracked a smile and turned his attention to the pan before him,

"Good cause I made tons"

 **So First off, Happy New Year. I doubt that there is still an intest in any of my work but im feeling bored and decided to finish a chapter that i've had saved for over a year. No idea if anyone will like this chapter but I had to publish something after...a year and a half...oh boy. Thanks again to TWDFAN2016 for their support and a thanks to everyone who followed/favorited this story. I wanted to have a brief night at the grimes house before the investigation and drama goes underway and I will cover Joshua's tramua and what he's going through more so throughout the rest of the story. Anyway hope you enjoy.**


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